Kawasaki Ki-48
| Kawasaki Ki-48 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Bomb plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
July 1939 |
| Commissioning: |
1940 |
| Number of pieces: |
Prototypes: 4 |
The Kawasaki Ki-48 was the most important light bomber in Japan at the beginning of the Second World War . It was first used during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1940.
history
The "Lily" project, as the bomber was called by the Allies, was started at the end of 1937 at the request of the Japanese army . Kawasaki was commissioned to develop a high-speed bomber that would reach a speed of 480 km / h at an altitude of 3,000 meters and be able to rise to an altitude of 5,000 meters in ten minutes. They were inspired by the Soviet high-speed bomber Tupolev SB-2 . When developing the Ki-48, the manufacturer benefited from the experience gained in building the Ki-45 . Various technical problems arose during the planning, but most of them were resolved. The bomber, however, remained very prone to failure.
The Ki-48 could carry a bomb load of only 400 kg (less than, for example, the fighter-bomber Typhoon at the same time ) and was equipped with only three machine guns. This made them very vulnerable to enemy hunters. During the first fighting with American aircraft, the imperial army lost a large part of the machines. The flight characteristics of the Ki-48 also left a lot to be desired. They were slow and cumbersome and, despite their poor armor, relatively heavy and therefore not easy to maneuver. The following model, the Ki-48-II (April 1942), as well as the Ki-48-IIc (1943) could show only a few innovations. The four-man crew had their hands full keeping the machine in the air while the bomb was being dropped and still getting hits. This machine doesn't have to be considered a failure - it was rather a failed attempt to produce an effective bomber that could stand up to the enemy.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| span | 17.45 m |
| length | 12.75 m |
| height | 3.80 m |
| Wing area | 28 m² |
| Empty mass | 5800 kg |
| maximum take-off mass | 6500 kg |
| Engine | 2 air-cooled 14-cylinder radial engines Nakajiama Ha-115 with 1,130 HP (831 kW) each |
| Top speed | 478 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 8900 m |
| Range | 2300 km |
| Armament | 3 x 7.62 mm MGs; Ki-48: 400 kg bombs Ki-48-II: 800 kg bombs |
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Peter Alles-Fernandez (Ed.): Aircraft from A to Z. Volume 2. Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1988, ISBN 3-7637-5905-0 , p. 423